Developed as a response to and under the influence of the Soviet T-34. The initial order for the production of 200 vehicles was canceled in favor of the Panther.

The biggest upside to this tank over its parents is its sloped armor, virtually everywhere. Knowing this, you will want to take advantage of it by positioning yourself in such a way that shells will bounce off you. The VK 30.02 (D)'s gun is powerful enough to wake up any sleeping heavy, although the penetration is rather insufficient for its tier, so aiming for the sides and rear is a must. Also, due to your speed and mobility, you have some capacity for fighting up-close, but expect to be out-gunned by other mediums.

Compatible Equipment

Compatible Consumables

Player Opinion

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Very sloped armor at all angles. By getting close to the enemy you'll usually bounce a hefty portion of their shots

Very mobile, even at stock configuration

Cheapest repair cost of all Tier 7 medium vehicles

Very heavy so ramming is a good option

Cons:

Very frequently outgunned by other mediums of the same tier

Slow turret rotation (was nerfed in 8.5 patch)

Poor penetration

Performance

This tank is best used as a flanker, not a sniper like much of the German tank tree. It's similar to the VK 30.01 (H), but with much better sloped armor. While its guns are very accurate, they are not very powerful for its tier. The VK 30.02 (D) counters this by being extremely mobile and somewhat well armored. When at the top of the roster, this tank will easily lead the team to victory. However, this is rare as the VK 30.02 (D) is frequently put at middle or somewhere between middle/top of the list.

Note that with the 8.5 patch the turret rotation was reduced considerably, constraining its previous ability to be a flanker. However, damage was increased as part of the rebalancing.

The second turret is very heavy and slows the tank down. With it and the 8.8cm gun, it starts to play more like the VK 36.01 (H). Unfortunately, since the 8,8cm gun has even less penetration than the 7,5cm, head-on engagements are the last thing you want. It's up to you which you prefer. The video Wargaming made for this tank recommends the second turret, but many players prefer to switch back to the first turret. If you use the second turret then try to get behind people, fire a shot or two, and then run behind cover, rather than trying to circle.

With the 7.5cm gun, you're mostly forced back to a flanker-sniper role. You can brawl, but only to a certain limit (for brawling, the 8.8cm is better for the job). If ever you choose to arm the first turret and the 7.5cm gun, play it like you would play a Comet.

Early Research

The radios and guns remain unchanged from the previous tier. You should immediately install a better radio and switch to the 7,5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun.

First research the MB 507 diesel engine for more speed, acceleration, and a lower chance of fire.This engine will cost 17000 exp,don't skip this module,and remember speed is essential for this tank.

Next research the upgraded suspension for the necessary weight capacity for the second turret.

Now you can research the second turret for improved armor, view range, and the ability to mount the 8,8 cm KwK 36 L/56 gun.

Research the Indien Panzer.

Historical Info

Prototype rejected of the Panther Medium Tank

The Panzerkampfwagen V Panther, next to the PzKpfw VI Tiger, is the best-known German tank of World War II. The Panther and the Soviet T-34 are considered to be the best tanks of World War II. When Germany invaded Russia in June of 1941, the Panzertruppe encountered the KV and T-34/76 series-tanks, which were far superior in firepower and armor protection to any Panzer at the time. It was then decided, because of the constant reports from the Eastern Front, to design a new and more powerful medium tank which could be quickly put into production.

On November 25th of 1941, Adolf Hitler ordered Wa Pruef start work on the new tank. In December of 1941, Wa Pruef ordered Daimler-Benz and MAN (Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nuernberg) to design new 30-ton tank armed with the 75mm KwK L/70 gun as a response to the Soviet T-34/76 tank. Rheinmetall-Borsig was in charge of the development of the turret for this new tank. In March of 1942, Daimler-Benz (hence, DB) was the first to produce their version of the VK3002’s design based on previously rejected VK3001 (a direct copy of the T-34/76) designs from January of 1942. Two versions of the VK 3001 with different suspensions were designed by Daimler-Benz; one with spring suspension and the other with torsion-bar suspension. Daimler-Benz's VK3002 design was largely based on the T-34/76 and was more like a modified German version of it. MAN finished their design of the VK3002 in early Spring of 1942.

The VK 30.02 (D)’s turret was mounted in the forward position of the hull, just like that of the T-34. A prototype was presented to the Fuhrer, who ordered the production of 200 to start as soon as possible. On May 11th of 1942, the VK3002 project received the designation of Panther. On May 14th of 1942, when extensive tests of both prototypes were completed, Hitler decided to put MAN’s design into production. Daimler-Benz’s design was rejected, since it was assumed that it would cause many problems with identification of the vehicle. It also proved to have poor performance and many modifications would have to be made in order to improve its faults. The Daimler-Benz protototype was captured by the Soviets in 1945.